These special bookmarks were handmade by a woman who used to work in a Haitian brothel.

Working in the brothel was an extremely difficult life to say the least, with terrible pay and no sense of dignity. Earning an excellent, livable wage creating unique items like these bookmarks has given these Haitian women the opportunity to leave the brothel and make a better life for themselves. Learning new skills has also nurtured their creative side and restored their dignity.

The ladies make the bookmarks by blending recycled paper scraps and then pouring the pulp into a mold and deckle. Once the paper is dry, they decorate the bookmarks with their own designs, add some twine, and finish them off by tying on paper beads that they also made from recycled magazines. No two bookmarks are alike - handmade at its finest! These make a fun little gift or party favor.

Choose either the Confetti Dots, Stamped (Acorns), or our Punched Shapes style (Owl, Apple, Branch, Leaf, Heart, Pear, Umbrella, or - newly added - Daisy and Star). If there's a particular punch shape you'd like, put a note on your order and we'll do our best to accommodate your request. Each bookmark will come to you with a tag signed by the artist who created it, along with a brief insert enclosed.

100% of the profits from your purchase go back into this artisan program so that a life of "Libète" ("freedom") can remain possible. Your purchase makes a life changing difference for these women and their families!

--> Want to see gift tags the ladies have made?
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LibeteMadeInHaiti?ref=seller-platform-mcnav§ion_id=25641449

--> Want to see everything else they've created? Return to our Etsy shop:
LibeteMadeInHaiti.etsy.com

--> Want to chat or order something specific?
https://www.etsy.com/conversations/new?with_id=8841582&show_panel=true

--> Follow LibeteMadeInHaiti on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/libete_madeinhaiti/

Blessings,
Neile